Knicks Win First NBA Title Since 1973, Beat Spurs in Five Games

The New York Knicks won their first NBA championship since 1973 on Sunday morning, beating the San Antonio Spurs 94-90 in Game 5 to clinch the Finals 4-1. It is the franchise’s third title overall, ending a 53-year wait and erasing the long-running image of the team as the league’s perennial disappointment.

Jalen Brunson led the comeback with 45 points after New York trailed by 16. The Knicks had also shown their resilience in Game 4, when they erased a 29-point deficit to win, and this time they did it again, taking their first lead since the opening quarter with just three minutes left.

The article said Brunson, who was excellent throughout the season, and OG Anunoby, who played at a level described as among the best of his playoff career, were the Knicks’ key figures in the series. Without them, the team might not have reached this point.

Victor Wembanyama, in his first playoff run, will have to wait for his first title. For the Knicks, the championship joins the titles they previously won in 1970 and 1973, after two later Finals losses, including one to the Spurs and one to the Houston Rockets.